KALAMAZOO, MI – Western Michigan University is going tobacco-free in a little more than a month, but the "smoking police" will not be deployed around campus on Sept. 1, WMU President John Dunn said in an interview on WMUK's "WestSouthwest" news program.

Dunn was speaking with WMUK news director Andrew Robins and Kalamazoo Gazette reporter Yvonne Zipp. The program aired at 9:20 a.m. on 102.1 FM and also is available online.

In May, the federal government named 55 colleges and universities that are facing investigations into their handling of sexual assault cases on campus. WMU is not one of the universities under scrutiny, but does the country have a problem with sexual abuse on its college campuses generally?

Dunn called some of the cases reported in the media "horrific."

"We're all being expected to do a much better job of being cognizant of our responsibility," Dunn said.

Dunn said, however, that he worries about the cases that don't get reported.

"I worry about making sure we are not under-reporting. We report accurately all cases to the federal government, as we need to under the Clery Act," he said. "At the same time, though, I wonder: Is there wrongdoing going on that, for whatever reason, our system is such that young women, mostly, sometimes young men, are not bringing forward a case to our attention? And that's not good."

WMU is currently conducting an external review with outside consultants on that issue, Dunn said.

"How is it that we make people aware that they have rights to report these -- and a responsibility as well, I might add," Dunn said. "And secondly, is it our policies that are not right or is it something else that is somehow discouraging young people in most cases from coming forward and saying, Hey, somebody has been really inappropriate with me, whether it's a hostile environment, groping or worse? We want those cases reported and we want to deal with them effectively, and I think we do. I just wonder: Are we getting all the cases reported that should be reported? And we're challenging ourselves on that."

WMU's Board of Trustees last week voted for a one-year extension on working out a deal with Downtown Tomorrow Inc. for the Cole-Gilmore property downtown. WMU has said it has no immediate plans for the property. Some residents have pointed out that it's been more than a decade. What potential use could that property be put to?

"There are many possibilities and many needs that could go there. It's trying to find the right balance and the right financing to make that happen," said Dunn.

At the latest meeting, he said, there was talk about the possibility of DTI and others pursuing an RFP (request for proposal), but WMU would not participate in such an endeavor.

"We would not be part of it at the university. We've been down that path. We spent a long time with that with East Campus, as you'll recall. We thought we had all the things in place at one time, only to find that the partner's not local, that the federal and state resources are not going to come through, the brownfield credit was not there," Dunn said. "So, we will continue to be a very good partner with the community as we have been."

"We looked at the arena at one time. There wasn't sufficient appetite by many in the public and elsewhere," Dunn said. "We're not the king of the hill. We listen to people. We try to be responsive. We partner well with others. I remain hopeful that we will come up with something that will be responsive to the university and to the community and most importantly, to our citizens and the students we're trying to serve."

WMU is currently in negotiations with the faculty union, the WMU chapter of the AAUP. From your point of view, and the administration's point of view, how is that process going?

"Of course I'm not at the table, but we have a very fine team from the administration at the table," Dunn said. "I also think the team from the AAUP is working hard. They're committed, focused. The clock is moving and, you know, that always gives a little bit of concern, because you want to get your work done and do it in a timely manner.

"But, the last couple of weeks have been encouraging and positive. So we will maintain a sense of optimism and commitment to all of our employees," Dunn said "We have recently settled with our public safety people. We also are very close to settlement with our stage hands at Miller. We do this well. I am quite confident that, with the WMU-AAUP, we'll find our way and we'll find something that is conducive to the needs of both parties."

What will the closing of the Everest Institute, as part of a deal between its parent company Corinthian and the Department of Education, mean for higher education in Kalamazoo?

"Our commitment as a university, we want to make sure we're responsive to the needs of students and families and others," he said. If "those individuals impacted and affected by this need a great institution to continue their education, we're open, available and willing to assist in any that way we can.

"I think the national picture on for-profit colleges is that they are being closely scrutinized to make sure they in fact are adhering to high standards with respect to the programs they provide and also the finances and the financial packages that go with the students and without getting into specifics about any particular for-profit, let me just say that I think there's some clear evidence that some have not been good citizens in the higher-education community," Dunn said. "They're being called out for that, and I think appropriately so -- because all of us should have high ethical standards, expectations of ourselves and how we treat students and their families and their resources."

Some community colleges in Michigan are in the process of establishing four-year degrees in certain areas allowed by the state legislature. Will that development alter the relationship between four-year schools like Western and traditional two-year community colleges?

Dunn called the law bad policy.

"I still have concerns. There's some discussion always about whether we have too many four-year institutions. Well, the passage of that law increased them potentially by 32 more. And, I don't understand it. I think it was bad policy," he said.

When asked if it was because community colleges have a reputation for being less expensive, Dunn said, "That's certainly what we were told."

But he said community colleges would not be able to deliver accredited four-year programs without additional expenses.

"When you get into the four-year degree and you do it right, the cost for community college will have to escalate. You can't do it without people with the appropriate kind of credentials delivering the right kind of stuff that will be responsive to the needs of the market that's out there," he said.

"We're very, very proud of what we do in terms of our university and the quality of education we provide for our students," Dunn said, adding that all of WMU's programs are fully accredited.

"That's something all consumers should keep in mind as they think about their future. It's one thing to have a degree in business. It's another to have a degree in business from a fully-accredited college of business," Dunn said. "It's sad when you have a student who might go out and has a four-year degree in business, but it's from an unaccredited institution or an unaccredited program within an institution that is accredited. That's challenging, because employers look at those things very, very carefully."